Mass hysteria broke out in a Kelantan school last week that took the nation by surprise.
It frightened Malaysians as it has reportedly affect more than 100 people. The ‘epidemic’ first started affecting about 10 students and a teacher from SMK Pengkalan Chepa 2 but spread throughout the school in the week, affecting more than 50 female students and several more teachers.
Classes had to be discontinued to prevent any more victims from being possessed while bomohs came in in an attempt to clear ‘spirits’.
Believing that super natural beings may be the cause of the mass hysteria outbreak, several ustaz were called in to conduct a two-hour recital of Quranic verses and prayers that were held together with the students. A Chinese bomoh from Perak and his team were also called in to assist in the situation.
Image source: Straits Times
Students have claimed to see “strange, supernatural beings”. Victims that were apparently possessed all said that they saw a pontianak before passing out. One student was so afraid that she tried avoiding using the restroom as much as she could because she claimed to have been possessed in the toilet before.
Reporters who were around the school area were stopped from entering the school compound. They were horrified when they heard screams emanating from inside the school.
A local traditional medicine expert, Wiru Sankala, told The Star that the recent hot weather and repressed emotions, as well as the widely-shared reports of what has been happening, could be the reason for more hysteria outbreaks in other schools.
Image source: The Star
Many studies have tried to identify the exact cause of mass hysteria but has not come up with an explanation yet.
Throughout the years, researchers worldwide came up with a few possible theories but none of them seem to be the cause.
Toxic leaks were suspected before, and so are mass drug use. However, no traces of either leaks nor drug use was found.
Chartered psychologist Alan Redman favours the term “psychogenic illness” to describe these episodes. “What we’re talking about in these school cases, which are not that uncommon, is an illness that feels very real and which is transferred through psychological means rather than physical ones.”
So instead of it being something external, mass hysteria is said to ultimately come from the mind.
“The reaction is a bit like when you hear the word ‘itch’, and you start to feel it yourself.” Redman says.
He added by saying that it’s more likely to happen in schools because teenagers’ minds are more easily influenced, especially in females.
“Obviously, at school this process is heightened because young people, particularly adolescents, are looking for an identity more than most and are much closer to the people in their groups. If you look at research into psychogenic illnesses, it is much more likely to affect this age group, girls more than boys.”
